Teen Constance McMillen to Be Gay Pride Parade Grand Marshal

Flickr photo by Uriel 1998This morning, I read that Constance McMillen -- lesbian teen, same-sex prom date challenger, and yet another young person forced into to civil rights activism because of the bigotry that lives in her hometown -- was asked to be the Gay Pride Parade Grand Marshal in New York City on June 27th, and I just welled up with my own kind of pride.

Let Constance be a role model for teen girls everywhere -- to be aware of what's inside you and to be true to it.

Advertisement

I don't know her, but as it seems to me, Constance knows a big part of who she is, and maybe even better than most 18-year old girls in high school. When you're not allowed to be who you are, I figure, you can either fight or die inside. And when you choose to fight, just to be who you are and love who you love, you tend to get to know who you are a little faster.

I'm so glad to see Constance fighting the good fight, despite the continued ugliness and hatred that surrounds her in her high school community. And more than anything, I'm glad to see her being celebrated for her fight. It can't be easy to fight every single day just to be accepted and loved. There's enough of this garbage for a teenager to fight in society even when they're not gay.

May Constance come out stronger on the other side of this. Heck, may all of us come out stronger and more loving toward one another -- because we fought to be so.